A strong Pacific system brought strong winds to much of the Pacific Northwest.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PQR wrote it up.
A strong Pacific system brought strong winds to much of the Pacific Northwest.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 16, 2:57 AM PST, 5 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 257 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT OFFSHORE WILL SLOWLY PUSH TOWARD THE COAST TODAY...BEFORE A STRONG LOW LIFTING NE INTO VANCOUVER ISLAND PUSHES THE FRONT INLAND EARLY TUE. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL FOLLOW EARLY WED. AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE LATER IN THE WEEK... WITH ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH WED NIGHT AND THU. && .SHORT TERM...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LARGE LOW COVERING THE GULF OF ALASKA...WITH A STRONG WAVY FRONT EXTENDING FROM VANCOUVER ISLAND SW TO NEAR 40N/135W. A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT HAS DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH COASTAL WINDS NEAR HIGH WIND CRITERIA AT CLATSOP SPIT AT 10Z. MODEL RUNS HAVE SHOWN THAT THE FRONT MAY TEMPORARILY SLIP INTO THE NW CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA TODAY WITH THE PASSAGE OF A WAVE ALONG THE FRONT. COASTAL WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS MORNING AS THE FRONT APPROACHES...BUT IT APPEARS THE WINDS ON THE S WA COAST MAY DROP OFF FOR A WHILE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT DIPS TO THE S. THE OFFSHORE COLD FRONT REMAINS THE FOCUS THROUGH TUE MORNING AS IT SLOWLY MAKES IT WAY INLAND...PUSHED IN BY A DEEP UPPER TROUGH THAT MOVES INLAND EARLY WED. SEVERAL WAVES ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ALONG THE FRONT...INCREASING SURFACE PRES GRADIENTS...CAPPED BY AN INTENSE LOW LIFTING NE INTO VANCOUVER ISLAND EARLY TUE MORNING. GFS AND NAM MODEL RUNS INDICATE 850MB WINDS TONIGHT PEAKING IN THE RANGE OF 70 TO 80 KT...WHICH PUTS IT IN THE 5TH TO 6TH STANDARD DEVIATION. WHILE THE COASTAL WATERS APPEAR POISED TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF THIS STORM... THE COAST ALSO SEES SOME POTENTIALLY DESTRUCTIVE STRENGTH WINDS. MODEL SURFACE PRES GRADIENTS SUPPORT A LONGER THAN NORMAL WARNING ON THE COAST...RUNNING FROM THE PRESENT TIME THROUGH TUE MORNING. PEAK WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE FRONT TONIGHT. MODELS SUGGEST WE MAY GET ADVISORY LEVEL WIND IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY TONIGHT...ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF HIGH WINDS FOR THE EXPOSED AREAS OF THE COAST RANGE. WILL CONTINUE WITH A WATCH FOR THE N OREGON COAST RANGE AND WILLAPA HILLS. THERE WILL BE A SHARP DROP IN SNOW LEVELS TUE AND TUE NIGHT AS A COLDER AIR MASS MOVES INLAND BEHIND THE FRONT AND WITH THE UPPER TROUGH. A FAIRLY STRONG WESTERLY FLOW MAY YIELD ENOUGH SNOWFALL FOR POTENTIAL ADVISORIES IN THE CASCADES AND HIGHER COAST RANGE. CURRENT MODELS SHOW PRECIP DROPPING OFF WED AS WEAK RIDGING MOVES INLAND AHEAD OF THE NEXT STRONG SYSTEM MOVING TOWARD THE EASTERN PAC. RW .LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...A NE PAC FRONT SHAPES UP OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC AND ARRIVES LATE WED INTO THU. THIS FRONT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE QUITE STRONG...WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE POTENTIAL AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG WINDS ALONG AT LEAST THE COAST. WILL NEED TO WATCH THIS SYSTEM AS TIME CLOSES IN FOR SPECIFIC IMPACTS. THE TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM IS INDICATED BY THE MODELS TO MOVE ACROSS THE PAC NW LATE FRI. MODELS THEN DIVERGE ON A SOLUTION FOR THE LATER HALF OF THE EXTENDED...THOUGH ALL TREND TOWARD CONTINUING AN ACTIVE WET PATTERN. HAVE MADE MINIMAL CHANGES TO THE FORECAST BEYOND THE END OF THE WEEK. BROWN && .AVIATION...EXPECT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST TODAY WITH RAIN AND STRENGTHENING S-SW WINDS. SOME GUSTS 45-60 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES BY THIS EVENING. CIGS ALONG THE COAST MAINLY MVFR TODAY...BUT SOME IFR IS POSSIBLE AT TIMES IN AREAS OF HEAVIER RAIN...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE NORTH COAST. INLAND...EXPECT MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH INCREASING S-SW WINDS AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF INLAND UNTIL AT LEAST 06Z... LIKELY EVEN LATER THAN THAT. SOME LOCALIZED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS POSSIBLE NEAR THE COLUMBIA GORGE WITH STRONG S-SW WINDS ON TOP OF GUSTY EAST WINDS COMING THROUGH THE GORGE AT TIMES. KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR WITH INCREASING SE WINDS THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOME LOCALIZED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS POSSIBLE NEAR THE COLUMBIA GORGE DUE TO EAST WINDS AT SURFACE AND STRONG S-SW WINDS ALOFT. SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING... BUT THE BULK OF THE RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH INCOMING FRONT WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 06Z. WEAGLE && .MARINE...A VERY IMPRESSIVE STORM SYSTEM IS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE NE PAC THIS MORNING...AND WILL BE THE DOMINANT WEATHER PLAYER FOR THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS. SOLID GALE FORCE WINDS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT OUR COASTAL WATERS...AND THESE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO STORM FORCE AS STRONG LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE SOME THREAT OF HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST AS LOW PRESSURE PUSHES A STRONG COLD FRONT ONSHORE LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY TUE. LOCALIZED GUSTS NEAR THE COASTAL HEADLANDS COULD REACH 70-80 KT DURING THIS PERIOD. BELIEVE THE GUSTS WILL BE TOO LOCALIZED TO WARRANT A HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING...BUT MARINERS SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT WINDS OF THIS STRENGTH ARE A POSSIBILITY TONIGHT. AFTER THE FRONT MOVES ONSHORE WINDS WILL DECREASE DRAMATICALLY TUE MORNING...HOWEVER AN EXCEPTION TO THIS MAY BE OUR NORTHERN OUTER WATERS WHERE WINDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER MAY ONCE AGAIN APPROACH STORM FORCE TUE MORNING. WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS AND POSSIBLY EXTEND THE STORM WARNING FOR THIS ZONE. ALL THESE WINDS WILL NO DOUBT BUILD SHORT PERIOD SEAS IN EXCESS OF 20 FT IN OUR COASTAL WATERS...POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 24-27 FT DURING THE PEAK OF THE STORM LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY TUE. MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST WE WILL BE IN A PROLONGED VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN...WITH ANOTHER POTENTIAL STORM FORCE EVENT SOMETIME BETWEEN WED-THU AND ANOTHER POSSIBLE THU-FRI. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WITH OCCASIONAL GALE TO STORM FORCE WINDS AND LARGE...VERY STEEP SEAS...IT WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS TO VENTURE OUT INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COASTAL WATERS FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK. WEAGLE && .PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA/OR...STORM WARNING ALL WATERS THROUGH EARLY TUE MORNING. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA BAR THROUGH TONIGHT. COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY TUE. HIGH SURF ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUE MORNING NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE S WA COAST AND N AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST TODAY THROUGH TUE MORNING. HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE WILLAPA HILLS AND NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUE MORNING. && MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FROM THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 538 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 ORZ001>003-WAZ020-021-171400- NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST- COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-WILLAPA HILLS- SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST- 538 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR COASTAL PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE COAST THROUGH TONIGHT... WITH A HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE WILLAPA HILLS AND COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON. SOUTH WIND GUSTS UP TO 90 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...STRONGEST NEAR BEACHES AND HEADLANDS. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT ALONG THE COAST...FOR SEAS OF 23 TO 27 FT. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST FOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...FOR MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. ANOTHER STORM AROUND WEDNESDAY NIGHT MAY BRING HIGH WINDS TO THE COAST AGAIN. THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE COAST. THE COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER REPORTS OF WIND ARE ENCOURAGED THROUGH TONIGHT. SPOTTER REPORTS OF TIDAL OVERFLOW CONDITIONS ARE ENCOURAGED THROUGH TONIGHT. ORZ011-013-WAZ019-171400- NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES-CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES- 538 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CASCADES OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL BRING SNOW AT TIMES TO THE CASCADES DURING THE WEEK...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AMOUNTS LATER IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. ORZ004>010-012-014-WAZ022-023-039-040-171400- CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA- GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY- SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE- NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS- CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-I- 5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS- 538 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE VALLEYS WEST OF THE CASCADES TONIGHT...FOR SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER REPORTS OF WIND ARE ENCOURAGED THROUGH TONIGHT. PZZ250-255-270-275-171400- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 10 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR OUT 10 NM- WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM-WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM- 538 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT...FOR SOUTH WINDS OF 35 TO 50 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 KT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GALE FORCE OR STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN LATE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN AROUND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
755 AM PST MON NOV 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0612 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WSW OYSTERVILLE 46.54N 124.06W
11/16/2009 M59 MPH PACIFIC WA TRAINED SPOTTER
SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 30 MPH, WITH FREQUENT GUSTS IN THE
MID 50S
&&
TBROWN4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds were reported in Oysterville. Other locations reported strong winds, including: Toke Point with sustained winds up to 48 kt and gusts to 64 kt; a spotter in Ocean Park with gusts to 57 kt; Long Beach with gusts to 50 kt; and a crab boater reported winds gusts to 79 kt on the Willapa Bay.
Strong winds were reported at the airport in Hoquiam, and are representative of the zone. Strong winds were also reported in the Willapa hills by the NWS WSR-88D Doppler Radar in the range of 60-70 kt at radar level. There were power outages reported in Kalama due to branches bringing down power lines, which is just upstream of the southwest Washington interior.
Strong winds were reported by a spotter in Salmon Creek. He also reported many trees down in his neighborhood, including on his home, which verified other reports by broadcast media of similar conditions bringing damage to private property around Vancouver.
Strong winds were estimated based reports of power outages in the city of Kalama.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, November 2009
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 203548, 203550, 203549, 203563.